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Tips for balancing productivity with parenting

04/11/2016

Trying to balance productivity with parenting is something many working families are faced with every day of their lives. Staying focussed at work when you have so much to come home to can throw off that ying-yang balance and leave you feeling a little worse for wear.

When you’re starting to feel the pressure of a working family life, take a step back and try some of these simple lifestyle tips for better productivity and parenting.

Meal Prep Like A Boss

When you’re busy at work and busy at home, finding time to cook is often impossible. Unfortunately, it can be all too easy to reach for the takeaway menu or a ready meal which can be both fattening and costly.

Meal prepping is a great way to save time and it isn’t just for fitness fanatics. There are a whole range of indulgent and healthy meals that you can prepare in advance, without losing out on flavour and vitamins.

Take two or three hours out of your weekend to cook and prepare meals for the coming week. To avoid eating the same thing every night, try looking for recipes and foods that are interesting and versatile. Joints of meats or whole chickens are good for this but so are vegetable medleys and soups.

Meal prepping seems like a time consuming task because it takes up a larger block of time during your weekend. Nonetheless, it will end up saving you several hours of cooking time every week, so try not to think of it like that.

Create A Family Calendar

All too often having a productive spell at work can mean neglecting your usual home priorities. Whilst it might seem impossible to lead both a rich work and home life, creating a work/family calendar can help to combat this issue.

Create a calendar which designates specific days for family activities and specific hours for work time. If you know you’re going to be particularly busy one month, then pencil this in. Designate chores to each family member and make sure the workload is spread evenly.

If you take the time to prepare a family calendar in this way, it will help you to get stuff done and you’ll feel less guilty about avoiding family time when you’re super busy.

Do Your Food Shop Online

This sounds like a simple one because it is. Many people are put off by shopping online but most of the time their concerns are justified. Food shopping can take up several hours of your day, especially if you are trying to buy for your partner and children too.

Shopping online will save you heaps of time and could actually save you some money too. So instead of spending the best part of your weekend out at a busy supermarket, get it all done online the night before and use the free time on your family instead.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Flexibility

Many parents are deeply afraid of asking for time off or more flexible working hours to suit their family needs. This worry can throw off your productivity and parenting balance, leading to stress at home and in the office.

Trying to juggle all of these issues can sometimes make it feel like you’re drowning, which pushes many parents to give up great jobs simply because they are afraid of losing out on family time. Unfortunately, many quit their jobs or avoid promotions before they have even asked their employer about flexible working options because they assume that the answer will be a solid no.

If you’ve decided that you can no longer carry on with your work without it affecting your home life, then you have nothing to lose by asking your employer to be flexible. Set up a meeting with your boss and go in to it with an open mind and friendly but firm attitude. You might be surprised at how flexible your employer is willing to be.

It comes down to you

Balancing productivity with parenting doesn’t happen overnight, it takes good planning and strong willpower. If you’re serious about restoring the balance in your life, then any of these simple tips will help you to get started today.